HMCS Fredericton departs Halifax to join ‘Operation Reassurance’ in Mediterranean

The Halifax-class frigate and its 256 members have set sail for European waters as part of Canada's NATO commitments.

It was a tough weekend for the friends and family of the crew onboard HMCS Fredericton.

The Halifax-class frigate and its 256 members have set sail for European waters as part of Canada’s NATO commitments.

There were many hugs and tears as families gathered at the Halifax dockyard to bid farewell as the ship sailed out of the harbour for a six-month deployment.

The Commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic says sailors will be working with NATO allies for several months under “Operation Reassurance.”

“Fredericton will join the group that’s in the Mediterranean,” Rear-Admiral Brian Santarpia says. “They will be a constant presence in the Mediterranean, tracking all Russian activity there.”

He says since the invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, their work has taken on a heightened sense of urgency.

“Each ship that goes now has to be more ready than they were before that invasion, obviously, because the threat is higher,” he says.

Santarpia says a six-month deployment can be tough on sailors and their families.